“Billy had this ‘laser’ look on the forecheck. He was almost like a ‘border collie’ herding sheep into the pen. He twisted his lower body while barely moving his head and aimed for the kill.”
Was there a secret – or secrets – to Carroll’s success? Brains, my friends, brains. Not only did he have the wheels, Billy had a kind of street smarts on the ice. You either have the talent or you don’t; and he did!
Carroll was discovered by Jim Devellano, the Islanders’ chief scout. Devellano, now executive vice president of the Detroit Red Wings, selected Carroll with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 1979 amateur draft.
“Billy had three very productive seasons with the London Knights, so I drafted him,” Devellano explained. “He first came to me and played on our Islanders farm team in Indianapolis. He was an effective player in both directions; he was also a good teammate and a good guy.”
There was a problem, however, when it came to breaking up the Islanders’ lineup at Carroll’s natural position at center.
“Look who was in front of Billy – Trottier, Goring, Merrick – good luck,” Devellano said. “But Radar has figured out how to create space by creating a fourth line that can keep the opponent at bay and get him minutes.”
“I told Al in February 1980 that Carroll could not only check, but would also do an excellent job as a penalty killer. Radar took my advice and history began with our Islanders winning four consecutive Cup titles.”
There is such a thing as a “puck piggy” and a “cry baby” who is never satisfied with his ice time. Arbour was thankful that his top PK artist was neither one nor the other.
“The reduced ice time never bothered me,” Carroll explained. “After playing in the minor leagues for a few years, I thought I would do anything to stay in the NHL. I learned early on with the Islanders that if I wanted to stay on the island, I had to do what they asked of me. I thought I would rather do that than stay in the minor leagues.”
After an 18-game NHL “Cup of Coffee” in 1980-81, Billy was given 18 games by Arbour. Considering he was not a top-liner, his record in 18 postseason games was a remarkable 3-9-12. He also played a role in the championship tournaments in 1982 and 1983.
“At his best,” wrote hockey historian Dan Saraceny, “Carroll was a dynamic player who stole the puck and did the forechecking.”
Still, Billy Carroll remains a forgotten man for most Islanders fans, which certainly isn’t the case for teammates like Bob Nystrom.
“Let’s put it this way,” Ny claimed, “Billy contributed so much to our winning!”
Carroll did this in a plain, simple and to the point way.
“Really,” Nystrom explained, “I was just trying to forecheck and prevent the other team from setting up while I checked as quickly as possible.”
And it worked because he knew his limits and made the most of his opportunities.
“Let’s put it this way,” concluded Devellano, who had found the man, “Billy Carroll had a fine career as an outstanding fourth-string player!”
Also known to the Maven as the ever underrated islander!
